What makes a city "cool"? For one, it has to have plenty of entertainment, restaurants, and recreational amenities. But it also needs to have diversity, a large group of young professionals, and a thriving place for population growth. After all, if a lot of people are flocking there, then it must be cool — at least according to Forbes' latest rankings of America's coolest cities to live in.

"D.C. is a high-amenity city," says Stuart Gabriel, director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. "It has its share of cultural arts. It has its share of natural beauty." Also, the city’s population is booming, posting a 4.9 percent increase in net migration since 2010.The country's political mecca, Washington, D.C., tops this year's list as the coolest city in the country.

According to Forbes, the following 10 cities are the coolest places to live in the nation:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Seattle
3. Austin, Texas
4. Houston
5. San Francisco
6. San Diego
7. Denver
8. Riverside, Calif.
9. Boston
10. Dallas

Source: “Washington, D.C., Tops Forbes 2014 List of America’s Coolest Cities,” Forbes.com (Aug. 6, 2014)